ODM party leader Raila Odinga on Friday opened up on his special relationship with the late Bomet governor Joyce Laboso.
Laboso, in the run-up to the 2013 General Election, ditched Raila's ODM party and threw her weight behind Deputy President William Ruto’s United Republican Party that was causing waves in the region.
She retained the Sotik parliamentary seat, something many attributed to her integrity, accountability, aggressiveness and impressive development record.
Raila said it was very hard for them to talk while in Kenya for she belonged to a rival party.
"Laboso won the Sotik seat again with URP, but it was very hard for us to meet eye to eye for she belonged to the opponent's party," he said.
Raila spoke during the memorial of the fallen governor in Bomet.
The AU envoy said that they bonded at length in America in 2016 during the Democratic party convention.
"During the Democratic Party convention when Hillary was being elected as the party's candidate we shared a special bond away from Kenya," he said.
Raila referred to Laboso as her daughter and said she looked up to him for political advice.
The ODM leader confessed that she told Laboso that one day she would also be president.
"One day I see you doing a speech as the President of the Republic of Kenya. In Kenya, I can't talk to you at length but here we can talk," Raila said when she was with the governor in the US.
Joyce died on Monday at Nairobi Hospital after a long battle of cancer.
Her remains will later be flown to Fort-Tenan, Kisumu county where she will be laid rest on Saturday.
The body was flown to Bomet on Thursday evening after a memorial service which was held at All Saints Cathedral here in Nairobi.
She was eulogised by several leaders including President Uhuru Kenyatta, Deputy President William Ruto, governors and the leadership of both Houses among others.
